Joel Silver has bought Empire. From now on, we all work for him, and things will explode a lot more often in the office.
Or maybe, just maybe, this new story is about him optioning Empire, a new book and video game series. Yeah, that’s probably it.
Silver Pictures has picked up the rights to the multimedia project from sci-fi legend Orson Scott Card and plans to turn it into a near-future action thriller set in a US torn by civil war following the bombing of the White House and the death of the President. Fighting rocks the big cities and a lone operative, framed for the original attacks, must clear his name.
The first version of the story – Card’s novel – arrives in US stores on November 28, with the game following next year. “I couldn't think of anyone in Hollywood that could make this story better than Joel Silver," game co-creator Donald Mustard told The Hollywood Reporter. "He gets the franchise. He understands the story. And I think he's really good at not just cross-marketing a franchise, but making this type of a film."
Still, Joel – if you’re looking for an amazing story of blood, guts and print deadlines… You’ve got our phone number, right?